doubledeuce Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 I know alot of you are former HS players, so I thought you might identify with this situation and have some ideas on how to send the right message to my son's team... Last Friday, my son's football game was postponed until Monday. The head coach didn't want to go all weekend without practice, so he scheduled practice for that Friday. Since all of the boys already had their game equipment, there should have been no issues with scheduling practice late in the afternoon. Wrong. After the practice was announced, coach walked around the school to make sure his players heard the announcement. He said there were players ducking around corners to avoid him. Some came up with lame excuses like they didn't have their gear. One player actually had the nerve to say he had a date! Out of 55 players, only 20 showed up for practice. As you may have guessed by now, the team got smoked in their Monday game. The 20 loyal players that did practice have a couple of days to come up with an appropriate punishment for AWOL players. Any ideas on how this should be handled? To me, these boys need to be reminded that it is a PRIVILEGE to play football for your high school! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProBowler Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Well there must be some problems with this team besides missing a practice. I know it's hard to do in high school and you will have all the parents on your back but I would atleast suspend them for the next game and run them till probably half of them quit who didn't show up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 i think they should each sit out at least one full quarter of the next game. half is even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Die Hard Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 i think they should each sit out at least one full quarter of the next game. half is even better. One "full" quarter? Half a quarter not enough? Damn dude, you're harsh. As a football coach myself.... all I can add that when you schedule last minute practices... you have to have lower expectations for attendance and not hold grudges. If anything, coach finds out what his team is made of. Now he should know he doesn't have a team full of kids who take his program seriously. So it's up to him what to do with the program. He shouldn't leave it up to the kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProBowler Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Did these players who missed practice get to play on Monday without any punishment? I would have started Monday and none of them would have played. I know it's hard to put a team on the field with 22 players but I have seen it done. It sounds like the coach has lost control of the team for something like this to happen. I have been involved in coaching and I know good and well something like this should have never happened to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Up downs till they puke, then wind sprints.................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachingWinsChampionships Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 My team had a similar situation. Our game was reschudeled from Friday to Monday and we had a quick meeting on Friday and then went home after being told that we would have our Saturday morning practice at the normal time(7 AM). Everyone was at the meeting and everyone heard about it. Since there was no game that night or the next day, everybody on the team went out to party that night without any reservations. The next morning we had 19 players late and about 3-4 no shows. A few kids were off the hook for not being there because they were taking a practice SAT that was being administered at our school that morning. One kid told the coach that another player was taking the practice SATs when in fact he was passed out on somebody's couch b/c he was so wasted. Our coach saw straight through that B.S.. Everyone that was at the practice ran one extra suicide for each player that was late. The next morning(Sunday) there was a charity event at our school, a 5K run. The coach had asked for volunteers to help run the event. After only a few showed up, the coach told me to get on my cell phone and call every single player that was late or not there the day before and tell them to get their butts down to the school fast. Once the kid that was passed out on a couch and the kid that lied about it showed up, the coach said to those two, "give me 10 bucks(to cover the entrance fee), you're entered into the race." He told them that if they didn't finish the 3.2 miles in 22 minutes, they wouldn't play at all in the game the next day. If they did, they could play after the first quarter. They both made it. The coach then benched about 8 or 9 starters for the first quarter of the game the next day. We lost to a team we should have beaten because we gave up 14 points on defense in the first quarter and didn't score a point. The day after the game, the coach held a meeting and handed out a sheet of paper that stated clearly what the consequences would be for missing a practice or being late without prior approval from the coach. Late once during the week=benched 1st quarter. Two lates- benched for game. One missed practice= benched for game, even if that practice is missed because you are not allowed to practice because you were 20 seconds late to one class that day. That's what we did, but each situation is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 One "full" quarter? Half a quarter not enough? Damn dude, you're harsh.As a football coach myself.... all I can add that when you schedule last minute practices... you have to have lower expectations for attendance and not hold grudges. If anything, coach finds out what his team is made of. Now he should know he doesn't have a team full of kids who take his program seriously. So it's up to him what to do with the program. He shouldn't leave it up to the kids. the only reason i'm being that GENEROUS is becuase there aren't enough players who showed up to make a complete football team. otherwise i would have said they have to sit on the bench for an entire game. if they don't show up to the game because the know they won't play, then they sit for the NEXT game. with kids my age, you have to be harsh or they won't listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsHokieFan Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Once its reached that point in the season its too late Expectations have to be set in August for football practice. You show up or don't play Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsfanevan Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 is this sherwood JV by any chance? i didnt know they lost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinklein Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 is this sherwood JV by any chance?i didnt know they lost I was wondering the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosperity Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 The WHOLE team has to be punished even the people that showed up. This is a team issue. The players that skipped out have to learn that they are hurting the players that show up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rincewind Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Up downs till they puke, then wind sprints.................. Mike Eruzione. United States of America! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjcdaman Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Severe caning is the only way to solve this. Beat it out of 'em! Seriously, kids nowadays talk back too much and think they know it all. The coach was lucky 20 players showed up. I would play only the 20 remaining players in the next game. Yeah, playing offense and defense would be tough . . . but do the kids who didn't show up really deserve to play??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Severe caning is the only way to solve this. Beat it out of 'em! Seriously, kids nowadays talk back too much and think they know it all. The coach was lucky 20 players showed up. I would play only the 20 remaining players in the next game. Yeah, playing offense and defense would be tough . . . but do the kids who didn't show up really deserve to play??? and people thought I was harsh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgun88 Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 they obviously are not a team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
909997 Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 make them do suicide runs basketball style Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 make them do suicide runs basketball style i hate suicides... good thinking. make 'em do it like in Miracle: all night long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
909997 Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 i hate suicides... good thinking. make 'em do it like in Miracle: all night long. and play britney spears music awile they are running Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InsaneBoost Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Well, id say the little line touches run. Make them start at the end of the endzone to the goaline then run back, then up to the 5yd line and back, then to the 10 and back, all the way to the opposite side and back. And I say give them a time limit. And if they all dont finish on time, they keep doing it till they do. Sounds harsh, but itll make them never skip out again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 One of the first things we go over with our kids before the season even starts is the expectations and responsiblities of the kids and their parents. We stress in the begining the importance of being a team and the sacrifices that come with being a part of the team. We make alot of arrangements throughout the offseason to make sure the kids have family time and we ASK the parents to make a commitment to the team as well and try to schedule things accordingly. Dentist appointments is a big one throughout the season. Anyway, we make a very strong case that things do not always work out the way you want them to or as they are originally planned. The kids and the parents need to expect a few times a season that things just go wrong. We need them to help us out and be able to adapt to those situations. We have always had an open line of communication with the parents and the kids so things do not get lost in the cracks. One other thing we do with the kids is have them sign a "Contract" that simply states that they are going to give Football and the team their undivided attention. Each one of them signs the paper and a copy is sent home along with copies in the Coach's office. It is filed in a manner that reminds the kids that they have not only made a commitment to themselves, but also their buddies on the team. They basically promise not to let their teammates, coaches, parents and school down by not giving a great effort for the program. Does it work? In all my years of coaching, we have had only 2 situations come up that were unexpected and very disappointing. It will happen, but I believe the atmosphere that the coach's set for the program will guide the kids when they are not around the team. Basically, it seems to work for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSJHWT Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Run them, then run them some more, and when they're done running, have them run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubledeuce Posted October 19, 2006 Author Share Posted October 19, 2006 One "full" quarter? Half a quarter not enough? Damn dude, you're harsh.As a football coach myself.... all I can add that when you schedule last minute practices... you have to have lower expectations for attendance and not hold grudges. If anything, coach finds out what his team is made of. Now he should know he doesn't have a team full of kids who take his program seriously. So it's up to him what to do with the program. He shouldn't leave it up to the kids. I wasn't clear in my original post. The boys had a game scheduled for that Friday, but it was postponed. Since they were geared up for a game anyway, coach called a practice. This makes sense to me, the alternative would have been practice on the weekend. I'm sure all 55 had shown up if they had played a game. But when they realized they wouldn't get the afternoon off, it was like ****roaches scattering when you turn on a light in a dark room. But I agree with you, DH, coach should make the decision on consequences, not the boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubledeuce Posted October 19, 2006 Author Share Posted October 19, 2006 Well there must be some problems with this team besides missing a practice. I know it's hard to do in high school and you will have all the parents on your back but I would atleast suspend them for the next game and run them till probably half of them quit who didn't show up. I think we have some boys that are lazy and/or forgot the incredible privilege they have of playing football for their HS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubledeuce Posted October 19, 2006 Author Share Posted October 19, 2006 Did these players who missed practice get to play on Monday without any punishment? I would have started Monday and none of them would have played. I know it's hard to put a team on the field with 22 players but I have seen it done.It sounds like the coach has lost control of the team for something like this to happen. I have been involved in coaching and I know good and well something like this should have never happened to begin with. PB - The players who skipped were told they wouldn't start, but I didn't pay attention to how long they were benched. I agree this never should have happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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